Notably, Srikalahasteeswara temple, which is one of the oldest Lord Shiva temple in the country had never been closed before, not even during a Solar Eclipse.

However, now after some relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown measures, arrangements are being made for devotees to offer prayers to Lord Shiva, though with some restrictions.

Giving us an idea of the new darshan system post lockdown, executive officer Mr Chandra Shekar Reddy spoke to Zee Media exclusively and said, “Every devotee visiting the shrine will be required to wear a mask, and thermal screening gun for measuring temperatures will be conducted. Sanitizer liquid stands would also be placed in the temple premises”.

He added that “each devotee will be sent inside the shrine through a disinfectant tunnel” and further stated that the people would have to abide by the social distancing norm and must maintain a distance of at least a meter while in queues.

Here is a sneak peek at the arrangements:

A video of the premises of Srikalahasteeswara temple in Srikalahasti, where circles have been marked to ensure social distancing:

The temple which holds immense religious importance for Hindus used to get around 15,000 to 20,000 people devotees daily. However, a rising number of coronavirus cases in the district had prompted authorities to stop all ‘darshans’.

In fact, the first coronavirus positive case in Chittoor district was registered in Srikalahasti on March 24, and many areas in the district thereafter were identified as ‘red zones’.